It is known to enable a user to search for a desired application from an application providing site and to install the application in a mobile terminal.
When the user operates, for example, an image forming apparatus such as a multifunction peripheral (MFP), a printer, or the like, which is installed in an office of a business trip destination or a lobby of a hotel and that is usually not operated by the user, the user confirms the manufacturer and model of the image forming apparatus, searches for the application providing site of this manufacturer via the mobile terminal, and accesses the application providing site. Next, the user searches for an application installable in this model from the application providing site. Next, the user selects an application capable of executing target process in the image forming apparatus. The user operates, from among searched applications, and installs the selected application in the mobile terminal.
Since the user searches for the application providing site of the manufacturer after confirming the manufacturer and model of the image forming apparatus, it takes a lot of time and work to search for the application.
Therefore, for the mobile terminal, there has been disclosed a system where it is easy to search for an application capable of executing a process requested by the user. For example, a mobile phone is put close to an IC tag installed in a table in a restaurant and an ID is acquired. From an address management server, a uniform resource locator (URL) of a program management server from which a program (application) corresponding to the ID is able to be downloaded is acquired. Next, the mobile phone accesses the acquired URL, the program corresponding to the ID is installed in the mobile phone, and hence, it is possible to place an order with the restaurant via the user's own mobile phone.
In the above-described system, it is possible to easily install, in the mobile phone, a program where the user is able to place an order with the restaurant via the mobile phone. However, when a device such as an image forming apparatus is operated from the mobile terminal, the type of operating system (OS) of the mobile terminal, the model of the device, and also process requested by the user are different. Therefore, there are a plurality of applications for complying with these conditions. Therefore, it is difficult for the user to search for a requested application by easy operation.